Teachers Spend their Own Money on Classroom Supplies
The National Center for Education Statistics recently published a study: according to this study, over 90 percent of public school teachers use their own money to supplement their classrooms, from supplies such as pencils, paper, and books to devices such as tables and computers. We took a closer look at the study to see what public school classrooms look like in the US.
The study analyzed data collected during the 2015-16 National Teacher and Principal Survey. The survey included all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and participants were teachers as well as principals in public (including charter) kindergarten through grade 12 schools.
The study reveals that, during the 2014-15 school year, 94 percent of public school teachers spent their own money to supplement their classroom. Over all, teachers in traditional public schools were more likely to spend their own money on supplies than teachers in public charter schools. Regarding grade levels, data showed that the percentage of teachers in elementary school were more likely to use their own money than teachers in secondary schools. On average, teachers spent $479 on supplies, with a median of $279 per teacher.
Divided by area, in which the schools are located, the study distinguishes between city, suburban, town, and rural. It might not come as much of a surprise, that teachers in city schools spent more of their own money on supplies than teachers in suburban, town, or rural schools, although there is only a minimal difference between town and rural schools. Nine percent of teachers in city schools were found to spend more than a $1,000 on supplies, compared to 7, 6, and 6 percent in suburban, town, and rural schools.
Discover GetEdFunding would like to know if you have spend your own money on classroom supplies and how much you spend. Have you made use of GetEdFunding.com to find funding to supplement your classroom?
